WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Mark Carney is flying to Washington for a meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Carney left Ottawa Monday afternoon at a tumultuous time in the bilateral relationship amid Trump’s tariffs and claims that Canada should become a U.S. state.

Carney has said he expects “difficult, but constructive” conversations with Trump and his administration.

The prime minister has said the meeting will mark the beginning of a larger economic and security agreement between Canada and the U.S.

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade was negotiated during the first Trump administration and at the time the president called it the best deal ever.

Trump repeated his claims about Canada becoming a state during an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” which aired over the weekend but also called Carney “a very nice man.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press